FERRUM, VA – Ferrum College is pleased to announce that Anthony Swann, Virginia’s 2021 “Teacher of the Year,” will be the keynote speaker for the class of 2020’s in-person commencement ceremony planned for Friday, April 30 at 6:00 p.m. During the ceremony, the class of 2020 graduates will don regalia and cross the commencement stage set up in Adams Stadium to take a photo with Ferrum College President David Johns.

Swann, who was recently appointed to a four-year term to the Board of Education by Governor Ralph Northam, was named “2021 Teacher of the Year” during a virtual ceremony in October 2020.

“I plan to utilize this opportunity to give hope to those students who feel that their current trauma or economic hardship is the end of their world,” Swann said.

Swann has taught for 14 years at various elementary schools in Virginia and North Carolina. In 2017 he began his current position as a fifth grade teacher at Rocky Mount Elementary in Franklin County where, he created “Guys with Ties,” a program that encourages Rocky Mount students to “dress to impress” twice a month and practice integrity, honesty, and respect. He also helped develop the school’s “Cooperative Culture Initiative,” which rewards students for achievements and positive behavior.

After earning the Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Averett University in 2007, Swann went on to receive the Master of Education in Educational Leadership from Regent University in 2014. He currently resides in Vinton, VA.